Multiple weather warnings are now in place across Ireland.
Met Éireann has issued urgent warnings as Storm Amy is set to batter Ireland, with households advised to charge phones and take needed safety precautions.
The forecaster urges Irish homes that “it is essential to be prepared for the potential impacts from Storm Amy,” per The Irish Mirror.
The storm is being driven by the remnants of Atlantic hurricanes Humberto and Imelda, which have caused a strong jet stream fuelling a rapidly intensifying low-pressure system set to hit the country with powerful winds and heavy rain over the next 24 hours.
Multiple weather warnings are now in place across Ireland.
A status red alert is in place for western and northern marine areas, while status yellow and orange alerts have been issued for inland counties.
The warnings are in place from 9 am Friday and continue through noon Saturday.
The national forecaster added: “The warnings will be updated as new model runs are analysed and certainty increases.”
Impacts from Storm Amy include a significant risk of flooding, dangerous and difficult travelling conditions, debris, damage to power lines, possible outages, fallen trees, surface water flooding, and possible wave overtopping.
These impacts can continue through Friday and possibly into Saturday.
Met Éireann has urged Irish homes to make sure their mobile phones are fully charged in preparation for the storm.
It warned: “Ensure your mobile phone is fully charged to enable communication in advance of the event and keep local emergency numbers in your phone.”
The national forecaster also advises households as follows:
- Keep a small amount of food, medical supplies, and water supplies in case it’s dangerous to step out of the home.
- While on the road in strong winds, beware of fallen trees or other debris and high-sided vehicles, particularly when overtaking. If you are driving a high-sided vehicle, try to anticipate exposed sections of roadway where winds will be stronger.
- Stay away from coastal areas during the period. Remember the advice from the Irish Coast Guard: ‘Stay Back, Stay High, Stay Dry’.
- Don’t try to walk, cycle or drive through flooded areas; the depth of the water can be deceiving. Remember: As little as 150mm of fast-flowing water can knock you off your feet, and 300mm of fast-flowing water can move most cars off the road.
Meteorologist Ailis Hankinson said: “Storm Amy will bring wet and very windy conditions on Friday, and it’s preceded by a band of heavy rain on Thursday. It is the first storm of the season, so it’s essential to be prepared for potential impacts caused by the strong winds and the rain.
“There could be difficult travelling conditions, loose objects or flying debris. Trees are still in leaf at this time of the year, so there could be higher impacts from fallen trees and leaves blocking drains, causing localised flooding. Small, upland river catchments are the most at risk of flooding, so precautions for potential localised flooding in these areas are also important,” per The Irish Mirror.
